There have been nearly 40 Greek Festivals courtesy of San Diego's St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church, and except for a couple of knee surgeries getting in the way, Cynthia Samarkos has been part of all of them.

The 40th festival takes place this month, and the celebration of Greek culture has grown to the point that more than 12,000 people flock to the three-day event.

This year's celebration begins June 12 at the Park Boulevard church. To mark the event's anniversary – and also give a boost to those suffering through the bad economy – participants can enjoy free admission during part of the festival.

A former St. Spyridon priest suggested that the church launch the festival as a way to show off Greek culture, customs and food.

“It's just what we try to do to show San Diego our heritage, and that's very important to us,” Samarkos said.

The food, not surprisingly, has become a huge attraction for many of the festival-goers. Samarkos said some of them line up early, containers in hand, to get it when it's fresh and plentiful so they can eat and also take some home.

Most of the food is made by women who attend the church. They start weeks in advance, preparing and freezing what they can to make the job easier. Seeing people walking around holding “a slice of lamb and a little feta cheese” makes the work worth it, Samarkos said.

There are other attractions as well. A band will perform Greek music, and leaders will provide tours of the church.

“There's no comparison to 40 years ago,” Samarkos said. “It has grown, and I mean really grown.”